BELIEBE IT

Justin Bieber Is Sort of Like Bob Dylan, Says Bieber’s Manager

When he’s not zooming around his house or various airport Tarmacs on a $1,800 Segway-like “intelligent personal mobility device,” Justin Bieber stays busy by dabbling in various genres of music.

He has released pure pop records, R&B tracks, and a number of ballads. He collaborated with rap trio Migos on a standout track called “Looking For You,”, and more recently dropped a single with Diplo and Skrillex. That latter song, “Where Are Ü Now,” coincides with manager Scooter Braun’s big push into electronic dance music.

That push, as it were, landed Braun on the cover of Billboard, where he was joined by two of his clients: longtime dance music producer and D.J. Steve Angello, and the much younger, but currently equally sought-after Martin Garrix.

As part of his Billboard interview, Braun acknowledged that Bieber has been known to switch up his styles. In a preview of the story posted by the magazine, Braun offered the following reflection: “It’s like Bob Dylan: He pissed people off, but whenever he switched, he reinvented himself in a way that made him who he is today.”

Braun suggested on Twitter that the quote was taken out of context. In a lengthy post, he wrote that he was not comparing Bieber and Dylan’s talents so much as the decision Bieber made to perform at the Ultra Music Festival and Dylan’s decision to go electric at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.

Why would Braun even need to post a clarification? Because the Internet is a place where millions of people sit perched behind keyboards, ready to pounce on any perceived hint of an inflated ego, and tear down a 21-year-old pop star and his multi-millionaire manager. C’est la vie.